They say fish where the fish are. At least, that’s what I think they say. Truthfully, I don’t fish, and I would never, ever, touch a live, wiggling fish. The closest I get to fish is when I eat them.
Your local family law bar is like a fish-filled pond for bankruptcy lawyers seeking clients. Drop in your line, and you’re going to walk away with a bucket full of clients.
Many things cause marital meltdown, but financial stress is a HUGE factor in lots of divorces. I’m sure you’ve seen it in your bankruptcy practice many times before.
The question is, how do you become the top-of-mind bankruptcy attorney for your local family law bar?
Let me give you a bit of insight into the life of the average family law practitioner. You should know some things about family law attorneys that will (1) help you create awareness of your practice with this crowd, (2) position you as the go-to expert for bankruptcy, and (3) generate a limitless sense of obligation on the part of your new family law referral sources.
First, family law attorneys are in crisis mode most of the time. With most family law clients, everything’s an emergency: one spouse is running off with a child while another spouse is running off with the money. It’s panic, panic, panic.
Second, family law attorneys live in an information deprivation zone. They need to know more than they can possibly remember. They’ve got to master the fundamentals of family law. On top of that, they must have a working knowledge of property law, tax law, estate planning, juvenile law, criminal law, and half a dozen other practice areas. They’ve also got to be moderately proficient at psychology, child rearing, and accounting.
Finally, family law attorneys are, for the most part, in a constant state of anxiety about collecting their fees. Money is tight for families experiencing divorce, and paying the divorce lawyer is important right up until the crisis subsides. Then, suddenly, paying attorney fees becomes the least important thing to a client. Receivables are out of control in most family law practices.
I’m sure you understand each of these concerns from your experience in bankruptcy law. Your issues are different, but they are similar enough that you can certainly relate.
So how do you take your newfound knowledge of family law attorneys and use it to generate referrals? Here’s how.
(1) Call us and invite us to lunch. Don’t expect us to go. We eat at our desks lots of days. Even though we may decline, it’s nice that you offered.
(2) When you invite us to lunch, let us know that you’d be happy to answer questions about bankruptcy—free—when the questions arise. Give us your direct number, your cell number, your e-mail address, and your instant messenger address. Follow up with an e-mail or a letter.
(3) Send us a weekly tip—via e-mail—about bankruptcy law. Make it simple and keep it to one paragraph. Send it every Wednesday at 1:30 in the afternoon (that’s the quietest moment in our week). Keep sending it regardless of whether we refer any clients to you immediately. Make sure some of the tips relate to protecting our fee in bankruptcy.
(4) When we call you—and we will—respond to our questions very, very quickly. Get right back to us with the answer. Give us the quick yes or no. Don’t impress us with your knowledge of the intricacies of bankruptcy law: just get to the point. If you want to e-mail us the details later, feel free.
(5) Offer us lunch again about six months after the first call and after we’ve been hitting you with more questions. If we decline again, send over a nice sandwich tray for the entire office with your cards. Have it arrive at 11:30. Don’t worry: someone will eat it.
That’s it. Do those five things, and you’ll get referrals from us. We’ll know who you are, you’ll have earned our trust, and we’ll like you and want to do something nice for you.
A little bit of insight into our lives mixed with a little effort on your part will get you the results you’re looking for. You’ll be eating fish, and you won’t have to catch them yourself, for a long, long time.
Photo credit: .SantiMB. (Flickr)
Lee Rosen has practiced family law for more than twenty years. With three offices, Rosen Law Firm serves Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte North Carolina. Rosen is the Law Practice Management Editor of the ABA Family Advocate and recipient of the ABA 2010 James Keane Award for excellence in e-Lawyering. Rosen writes on marketing, management and technology at Divorce Discourse.
I wouldn't go fishing for just any lawyer though. That is the thing when choosing a lawyer you have a choice, unlike fishing. Do some research and ask around. If you're going to hire a lawyer make sure he's a good one.